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Mutant X (TV series)
| last_aired = | num_seasons = 3 | num_episodes = 66 | list_episodes = List of Mutant X episodes | company = Fireworks Entertainment Tribune Entertainment Marvel Studios Global Television Network | distributor = Marvel Entertainment CanWest Global Communications |}} Mutant X is a science fiction television series that debuted on October 6, 2001. The show was created by Avi Arad, and it centers around Mutant X, a team of "New Mutants" who possess extraordinary powers as a result of genetic engineering. The members of Mutant X were used as test subjects in a series of covert government experiments. The mission of Mutant X is to seek out and protect their fellow New Mutants. The series was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Even though the series had high ratings and was meant to be renewed for a fourth season, it was abruptly canceled in 2004 after the dismantling of Fireworks Entertainment, one of the show's production companies. Cast and characters Mutant X *'Adam Kane' (John Shea) is the strategist and moral center of Mutant X. Chief biochemist of the scientific experiments that led to the creation of the New Mutants, Kane created Mutant X to atone for his mistakes. The group seeks to protect New Mutants and help them control their powers. Viewing the New Mutants as his responsibility, Kane is looking for treatments for their various conditions. To this end, Kane has stolen The Creator's database, which can be used to track other New Mutants. *'Shalimar Fox' (Victoria Pratt) is a recombination of human and animal DNA – a Feline Feral – giving her great strength, speed, leaping ability, agility, reflexes, glowing cat's eyes, and enhanced senses. Fox often confers with Adam, who had found her starving and frightened in a sleazy motel. After further mutation, she can feel incoming danger to herself like she has eyes at the back of her head. Like all Feline Ferals, Shalimar is extremely territorial and has heightened fear of fire and she is immune to the form of hypnosis. *'Jesse Kilmartin' (Forbes March) can alter the density of his body at will. Kilmartin is the only known New Mutant to have surpassed his "expiration date." As a Molecular New Mutant, he can become intangible (though for no more than a minute, or risk not being able to reintegrate), or super-dense, making him nearly impervious to harm (though he can only maintain that form for as long as he can hold his breath). He also can manipulate gravity to some extent, and render other people or objects intangible or super-dense through physical contact by holding his breath for as long as he can. *'Brennan Mulwray' (Victor Webster) is an Elemental Electrical with the ability to generate enough electricity from his body to power a small city. He can also shoot powerful electrical bolts from his palms which, if fired downward, are capable of launching him high into the air. His primary weakness is water. Before Adam Kane found Mulwray, he was a thief. Mason Eckhart captured him and used him to hunt down the other New Mutants. However, Mulwray escaped and managed to join Mutant X along with Emma DeLauro. *'Emma DeLauro' (Lauren Lee Smith) is a Tele-Empath who can communicate her feelings and emotions and receive the feelings and emotions of others. Her abilities allow her to manipulate the emotions of those around her. She has limited precognition, demonstrated in episode 3 of season 2 and she also has the ability to induce hallucinations into the minds of others by drawing their own emotions. During her time in the team, Emma developed her Psionic Blast which she uses as an offensive weapon to knock her opponents unconscious, alter and erase memories, and killing them upon impact. She can also shoot strong and powerful Psionic Starbursts and Psionic Shockwaves. Her powers grew as season 2 progressed, allowing her to broadcast emotions at a greater distance, though she could not isolate targets when doing this. Before Adam Kane found her, DeLauro sold clothes at retail and used her control of emotions to become a successful businesswoman. Initially resistant to joining Mutant X, she eventually developed an attachment to Brennan Mulwray. DeLauro was killed in an explosion at Naxcon Corporation Industries (Nicholas Fox's company). * Lexa Pierce (Karen Cliche) was the first member of the original Mutant X. As a Chromatic Molecular, she can bend light to make herself and anyone she is touching invisible. In addition, she can shoot laser beams from her fingertips to wound or kill her enemies and blinding light flashes with her hands to temporarily blind her foes. Pierce cannot stay invisible for long before reverting back to normal. Even in her invisible state, she is visible to infra-red light or Feral Vision. She is also a skilled martial artist. Recurring cast *Tom McCamus as Mason Eckhart (Seasons 1–3) *Andrew Gillies as Dr. Kenneth Harrison (Seasons 1 and 3) *Michael Easton as Gabriel Ashlocke (Seasons 1 and 2) *George Buza as Lexa's Dominion Contact (Season 3) Episodes Backstory Several years ago a company called Genomex carried out a series of illegal and immoral experiments on human subjects, forever altering the DNA of any children they might have, to make them mutations from the norm. Now many of those children have grown up, and it has become increasingly difficult for the rest of the world to ignore the New Mutants in their midst. Genomex, under the direction of Mason Eckhart, one of the original scientists, seeks to exploit its creations. Others seek to protect them. A New Mutant Underground has sprung up, and one of the most prominent cells in that organization is Mutant X, a team of powerful New Mutants led by Adam Kane, head chief biogeneticist of The Genomex scientists who participated in the experiments which have altered the world forever. DVD releases ADV Films released all three seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2004 and 2005, but they are currently out of print. In late 2008, a complete series collection was scheduled to be released by ADV Films, but it was later cancelled. In 2010, Alliance Home Entertainment re-released each season on DVD in Canada. Each season was released in region 2 on March 25, 2013. Comic book tie-in In May 2002, Marvel Comics released a tie-in comic called Mutant X: Origin which chronicled the early life of Adam Kane. In the story Adam and a friend Paul did research of the DNA of the mustard plant in college which drew the attention of the U.S. government, who offered them the Genomex company to work on a cure to genetic diseases. During this story Eckhart is exposed to radiation which leads to his vulnerability to diseases. Lawsuits In 2001, 20th Century Fox sued Marvel, Tribute Entertainment, and Fireworks Entertainment for breach of their licensing agreement and false advertisement. Fox stated it had exclusive rights from Marvel to develop the X-Men property, and anything similar was an infringement. Fox claimed that Mutant X was too similar to X-Men, and Mutant X was being advertised as an "X-Men replacement." Marvel counter-sued Fox, saying that the two were dissimilar and asking the courts to allow Mutant X production to go forward. Production was allowed, as long as X-Men material was not used in the promotion of Mutant X. Apparently, the title "Mutant X" itself was deemed too close to "X-Men" to be effectively leveraged. In 2003, Fox and Marvel resolved their differences in a confidential settlement of their suits. Meanwhile, Fox continued to pursue their case against Tribune and Fireworks. Tribune sued Marvel for fraud and breach of contract, claiming Marvel encouraged Tribune to connect Mutant X to the X-Men, misrepresented what they were getting in their license, and caused millions in losses due to the need to alter story lines and characters to ensure the mandated distance between Mutant X and X-Men, as well as fighting Fox's litigation. References External links * * Category:2000s American television series Category:2001 American television series debuts Category:2004 American television series endings Category:2000s Canadian television series Category:2001 Canadian television series debuts Category:2004 Canadian television series endings Category:ADV Films Category:American science fiction television series Category:Canadian science fiction television series Category:English-language television programming Category:First-run syndicated television programs in Canada Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Category:Superhero television programs Category:Genetic engineering in fiction Category:Television series by Tribune Entertainment Category:Television series produced in Toronto